Keon West (Balliol 2006) has been appointed as the inaugural Head of Reparations at the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust (JRCT), a philanthropic organisation endowed by the Rowntree family.
Professor West, a social psychologist, Rhodes Scholar, and leading voice on racism and inequality, will design and lead the Trust’s reparations programme. This forms part of JRCT’s efforts to address its historical links to colonialism and indentured labour, identified through recent research into the origins of its endowment.
Speaking to The Guardian about his appointment, Professor West said: ‘I am honoured to accept this role. If offers the power and the responsibility to make real, meaningful changes in the lives of those who have been exploited.’
Professor West is a Visiting Professor at the Department of Psychological and Behavioural Science, London School of Economics and Political Science. He has written widely on race, bias, and social justice, including his recent book The Science of Racism (Picador, 2025).